8 Weeks Out!

As of tomorrow I am 8 weeks out from my first NPC Bikini Competition. June 14th I will be on a stage in that bikini and those stripper heels showing off all the progress I've made. I'm anxious, excited, nervous, and super proud of all the progress i've made so far. I still can't quite picture what competition day is going to be like or what I'm going to look like but I think I'm already hooked! This will probably be the first of many.

Saying that though, this week has been really tough. I was getting frustrated that the scale wasn't moving. Seriously, 3 weeks no scale movement! I know I've been making progress because i can see it and feel it but the scale should have moved at least a little bit! Even a 0.5 pound loss and I would have been happy! So with that frustration I decided it was time to add in a lot more cardio and interval training to get the stubborn fat off.

Also those who know me well know that I actually am not a huge fan of food. Yep. I know, its weird but in college I remember telling people I would love it if I could just get all my essential nutrients from an IV and just leave enough room for empty calories from treats. I do have a huge sweet tooth though. So this whole strict meal plan thing, I didn't think would be too much of a problem eating the same thing everyday, at the same time... My problem is actually eating everything I'm supposed to. I have a very busy job in which I'm not necessarily at my desk or in the office when I think I will be. So skipping meals happens a lot. My first thought was, "Hey no big deal. I consumed less calories than my body is burning so I'll lose more!" ::Insert loud buzzer noise here!::  NO! Unfortunately what I was doing is not fueling the muscles am trying so hard to train and develop. Knowing that, it's still hard to get in all my meals but I'm making a conscious effort to get all of them in, on time, and finish them.

I bought a few new toys to help me do this. First a few weeks ago I got this nifty little Six Pack cooler. It holds enough meals for the work day. And second I bought a jawbone UP24. As long as I use it right and track everything I'm eating it give me a good picture of my progress. Plus I set alarms so the band vibrates at my meal times! That's pretty cool!

So with adding in extra cardio and still working on getting in all the macros I need to, this week has been really hard. I'm exhausted, I'm cranky, I'm sore. But I'm really proud of how this is all coming together. For supplementation, I'm back on MNS 3, Catalyst, Nighttime Recovery and starting this weekend I'm going to add in ThermoPlus. And of course Spark whenever necessary.

Bikini Update

It's been a while. I've been super busy with this new training program and trying to give 100% to this bikini prep. But guess what it's been awesome. Ok so maybe not awesome all the time but From Feb 3 to March 1 I lost 12 pounds! Seriously! Progress pics will come soon!

How did I do it? I started with an Advocare cleanse and stuck to the diet plan very closely. If you've read some of my older posts you know I fudged a little bit when I did the 24 day challenge the first time. But this time I really wanted to see how great my results could be. I planned on going on to the Max Phase but my meal plan from my Bikini Coach came in and I decided to try to get used to that and I'm just going to take the CorePlex and OmegaPlex. Omegas are super important and Advocare makes some of the best ones around!

Eating: So my meal plan from my coach is super bland and boring. I seriously eat the same thing at the same time everyday. except for my high carbs days every 4th day when I get to have oatmeal and brown rice. I follow quite a few bikini competitors and see their meals and I get a little jealous I'm not going to lie but with the results I'm getting I think it's totally worth it. I don't really like food all that much anyway... (or I'll just keep telling myself that).

Workouts:
I've been following a plan from simplysheredded.com and it's been really good. that plus a few small group classes at my gym and I've really seen results. Yesterday I woke up early so I jumped out of bed took some O2Gold and mixed up some Arginine Extreme and spark up for the car ride to the gym and I'm not lying when I tell you I felt like superwoman! I PRd in my Squats and Dead lifts and set myself up for a fabulous day. If only work could have gone so smoothly.

So it's going great! Pics to come soon!

Bikini Competition

I've decided to do a bikini competition! I say this with equally as much enthusiasm as anxiety and nervousness. For the next 5 months my life will revolve around eating and training. I'm currently still in the process of selecting my bikini coach but I'm narrowing that down and will have made a selection in the next few days.
I have decided to do the whole transformation using Advocare products. So for the non-believers or the skeptics out there let's see how this experiment works, because as much as the food and exercise matter supplementation makes a huge difference!
I'm kicking it all off with a 24 Day Challenge. Last time I lost 7 pounds total, this time I'm hoping for 5-7 pounds but mostly I'm looking to lose inches. Last time I did not take measurements and went solely based on what the scale told me. This time my measurements and weight taken down by a trainer at my gym (one that I really don't know at all so that was awkward) so they are completely unbiased (no rounding up/down). Also this time I have 2 friends doing the whole 24 day Challenge with me so I can't wait to see their results! After the 24 Day Challenge I'll be using products from the Performance Elite line

 

So today is Day 1 of my second 24 Day Challenge and Day 1 of Bikini Competition Prep. Let's do this!